​I visited this spot at 906 Arch Street and was thoroughly impressed. From the moment I walked in, the atmosphere felt welcoming and authentic. The flavors are absolutely incredible--every dish we tried was seasoned to perfection and served fresh. ​It is clear that the kitchen takes great pride in their craft. Whether you are looking for a quick lunch or a sit-down dinner with friends, this place delivers a high-quality experience every time. The service was attentive and friendly, making the meal even more enjoyable. ​If you are in the area and craving top-tier Chinese cuisine, do not pass this place up. I will definitely be coming back! read more

Delightful Garden - Interior - Szechuan Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Delicious, underrated family-owned restaurant in Chinatown! Every dish was fresh and authentic, speaking as a family from Sichuan. Highly recommend the homemade pumpkin pancakes, incredibly light and fragrant. Definitely check out this hole-in-the-wall! read more

Delightful Garden - Szechuan Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The staff was extremely rude, we ordered a dish that we ended up not wanting, (the food tasted too sweet) when my husband politely asked for something else, the woman running the establishment went on a tirade about it. There was nothing on the menu that would indicate if it was gonna be sweet or not and the staff did not warn us that we could not exchange dishes when we were seated. Would not recommend EVER! read more

So I ordered delivery food from this restaurant and I found a super moldy cauliflower in my food. So I contact the restaurant and ask for a refund just for this single dish I ordered. The other 3 dishes aren't very tasty either, but they are just simply not as tasty and nothing else goes wrong. Guess what they told me "we throw all our unhealthy ingredients, please PICK OUT the ingredients that seems not fresh and CONTINUE EATING" I don't know they said that to me because I ordered through delivery and can't give the rest of food back to them or they genuinely think cooked MOLD is edible. The delivery company felt super bad and refund me credits, but I feel bad for them because it's not even their responsibilities. Guys, open your eyes and run away from them, there are so many good Chinese restaurant around that provides better food and customer service. While this place needs a visit from the health department. read more

Delightful Garden - Mouldy cauliflower in my Chile soup style - Szechuan Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Came with a friend, the food was cooked fresh and was a large portion, the prices are reasonable and was walking distance from the convention center. For sure would recommend. read more

Food tasted very bad. The ingredients were not fresh at all. I came here for the Tianjin pancake, and it was such a disappointment. Hardly any service either. The prices are high given that the food is of low quality. Will never come again. read more

Delightful Garden - B9. Pancake Tianjin Style - Szechuan Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Updated: This place is going downwards. I dined here tonight and discovered it's no longer run by the previous owner. The service & management style has obviously changed, unfortunately on the down side. The food still tastes good, but both my partner and I experienced digestive discomfort a few hours after eating here. Since Szechuanese food is often heavy spiced, I can't tell if their ingredients are fresh enough. However, I suspect their kitchen quality control is going down with new management. I probably won't come back. ------------------- I was born in Chengdu, Szechuan and I can safe say that Szechuanese dim sum dishes here are authentic, like dandan noodles, honeyed garlic noodle, hot & sour noodles. However, other dishes here are among average in Chinatown. I talked to the Chef once and he is from Szechuan, too. The management of the restaurant need improvement, as they get swamped when there are too many customers. read more

Delightful Garden - Szechuan Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

3.5 stars There's something very homey about eating at a family-run Chinatown restaurant that turns out simple yet tasty plates of authentic Szechuan food. The "small eats" or appetizer-style dishes shared family-style are my favorite part of this mouth-numbing cuisine! We started with the Chengdu-style cold bean noodles, and the soft, slippery noodles were a great conduit for the slightly spicy chili sauce. The dan dan noodles with minced pork were a bit of a miss--the wheat noodles seemed a bit overcooked, and the sauce was rather flavorless. Similarly, the mapo tofu with ground meat was surprisingly bland and the sauce was way too soupy. The smashed cucumbers in vinegar/soy garlic sauce were tasty and refreshing, but the highlight dish here (also the owner's favorite dish) was the beef, tripe, and tendon in chili oil (fuqi feipian). The thin, cold slices of brisket and offal were tossed with a delicious chili sauce and had a great lean texture! Nice! Overall, all the dishes here had very clean flavors and were surprisingly mild for something branded as Szechuan cuisine (I barely got any of the characteristic numbing spice). However, this also meant that nothing was overly salty, and the great value food and friendly service made this an authentic, homey experience! read more

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North Philly Chinese To-Go level food at high end Chinatown prices. $12.95 for broccoli and chicken? $3.50 fpor a small Wonton? My bill was$19 bucks! That's a 6.95 lunch special or $9.95 dinner at best for the food I received. read more

Delightful Garden - Chicken & Broccoli - Szechuan Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The restaurant is located in Chinatown, and closes at the arch. The food is very good, and the place is reasonable. We often buy at this restaurant. read more

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On a business trip, tried a few high star restaurant in Chinatown. Quite disappointed. On the other hand, this restaurant is a pleasant surprise. Service is good, clean ambiance. If you want authentic Chinese food. Come here instead of EMei. read more

I always keep ordering from the same places-- so I thought I would try a new place. I actually wanted to dislike this place- I assumed it would be mediocre at best given the drab decor, the surly manner of the person who gave me my take out order, and the length of time it took to get my food (30min from initial phone call). However, I was wrong. VERY wrong. The food was incredibly fresh, bordering on a fresh, homemade quality. I didn't get anything special, just the house special mei fun, the chicken chow fun, and the braised meatball dish. Just knowing they are doing the basics INCREDIBLY well has piqued my interest considerably. In fact, my gourmand 10yr old son has stated resolutely that this is the best he's ever had-- and he's right. Next time we are trying their specialty dishes. If their basic every day chinese food is amazing, I would hazard to guess their specialty food is out of this world. Go. You won't be sorry. I'm tipping next time I pick up-- the surly demeanor to the woman who gave me my food was a put off, but who cares. The food is superb. read more

JIAN BING ALERT!! I've been searching high and low for a Jianbing in Philly ever since I studied abroad in Shanghai last year. Thankful to have stumbled upon a very outdated blog post on the internet that mentioned an old restaurant used to make these, but the name was different back then. Luckily Delightful Garden has kept them on their menu. Decently priced for about $5 a piece, these are super close to what I had in Beijing (not the Shanghai crispy style with millet) but does the job. Please go here and try the most underrated street food item that people in America don't know about! read more

Delightful Garden - Jian bing B9. Pancake Tianjin Style - Szechuan Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Sichuan Style Soft Tofu and House Noodles In Chili Oil at Delightful Garden (906 Arch St, Philadelphia). Stopping by this small restaurant in Chinatown for lunch after four hours of shopping was honestly the best thing I could have probably done. Aside from lacking descriptions in the menu, my experience was pleasant. The meal was hot and fresh. The flavors were impressive because there was dimension and spicy, but it did not become overpowering. The best part about this dish, however, would be the texture of the tofu. It was soft and decadent, melting into my mouth as I took each bite. That in combination with the always tasty house-made noodle, the crunchy seasoned peanuts, and the soupy base made this dish exactly what I needed after a long day out in chilly weather. Definitely a delightful meal. read more

Delightful Garden - SICHUAN STYLE SOFT TOFU AND HOUSE NOODLES IN CHILI OIL - Szechuan Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Not going to lie i'm basing this review off service. We walked in and no one tended us. The food was great.. we loved our food. When we were ready to pay for everything I walked up to the counter to pay and I pulled out my mastercard and the lady kept saying cash cash. I asked her if she took card and she said yes but she refused to take my card and I had to end up paying with cash! Cash I was intending to use around the town! Be aware and bring cash just in case! read more

Delightful Garden - They take card but refuses to take my Mastercard??? - Szechuan Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Being very careful when ordering food from them, they will OVER-CHARGE you! Last week I was there to order four dish, the total is $34, and they charged $40! While I asked them how they calculated, they seem to be well prepared for giving out excuse! They immediately pointed out they forgot to update the menu, and they took out another menu under table to show me that the prices are higher. The food is also terrible. We order Braised Beef Noodle In Chili Soup, there are literally NO BEEF just noodle with soup! read more

If I can give a negative star to them, I would. Today my husband went to this restaurant ordered Tanjin Style Pancake for me, and the lady charged $7 for it. We know everything goes up. But double the original price is ridiculous. We went to their website and it is said $4.95. So what's going on right here? No wonder nobody comes and it is so empty there. We literally just got robbed. Stay away from this place. They will over charge you. read more

Went here Sunday Eve.. not many people there..I was the only one Cash only Service was ok...I ordered 2 apps.. One was in Chinese..no America name.. It was kind of like an English muffin with meat inside..it was good but kind of dry... I also had dumplings on schezuan sauce...these were ok...I liked...but I wasn't impressed..just average and somewhat disappointing.. Just fair at best imo 2 stars due to the very past expiation date table tops. The Formica worn completely off, and greasy sticky.. I expected better read more

Delightful Garden - Dumplings in schezuan sauce - Szechuan Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Do not go there if you are Black. I went there and sat for at least 10 morning bites before I received service. There were two different Asian couples that came in after me and received service before me. The racism was so obvious that I could not eat there in good conscience. I'd rather be hungry than compromise my dignity. When I complained, they didn't even acknowledge my complaint- so I left. In fact, I'm writing this review outside the restauran read more

Delightful Garden - Szechuan Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The food is fine, average Chinatown level but I think the price is above Chinatown average since the portion seems small compared to other Chinatown restaurants. read more

Ironically, our plan was to walk over to 3rd & Chestnut after taking care of a few things in Chinatown. The original destination was Han Dynasty in Old City so we could sample what was reputed to be among the best Szechuanese in Philly. But, as John Lennon so cuttingly observed, "Life's what happens while you're busy making other plans..." On our way down Arch we saw the sign for Szechuan Dim Sum Restaurant. We had been looking forward to a brisk after rain walk, but on seeing this convenient alternative, we wordlessly took each other's hand, made a hard right and jaywalked directly to their front door. Not much traffic on this Saturday afternoon, or we might have been less impulsive. We walked in to an almost empty house, with seven wood top tables and a mirrored wall. There were two servers, also acting as hosts. The young woman shepherded us to a table mid-shop, and dropped off two menus. She asked what we wished to drink, and brought a nice aromatic hot black tea moments later. The set up of fork, spoon and sticks was wrapped in a heavy paper nap with a rose printed on the right spot for the package to appear perfectly placed for casual elegance. Nice touch. The menu was bilingual so my companion had an easy time with descriptions and photo captions. She went quickly to the Spicy Crisp Intestine, and left the rest of the ordering to me. Up for the challenge, I opted for the Szechuan Style Spicy Chicken (basically, salt/pepper dry pot chicken), and Spicy Eggplant in Garlic Sauce. Wasn't in the mood for DanDan, Wonton, nor Mapo. They arrived in that sequence, with about 5 minutes between each delivery. All were very good to excellent. The Intestine was thin cut, lightly fried, and loaded with Red Chili, Scallions, Celery and Peanuts. Good heat, but not a conflagration, as I did not see any Szechuan Black Peppercorns in the mix; thus no anesthetic effect. It took you to the edge of the fire, burned your eyelashes, but did not throw you in. The Chicken dish was a variation of Salt/Pepper Dry Pot Style Chicken morsels, well dusted in a spicy ensemble, and flash fried twice so there was little oily residue. Tender meat with more Red Chili, Peanuts, Scallions, and a sprinkling of Sesame Seed on top. The heat quotient was perhaps a few degrees higher than the Intestines, with more spice during and after cooking. Very tasty, but perhaps the weakest link in our dinner chain. The biggest and best surprise was the Eggplant. It was sliced into lengths of a four/five inches, skinned, and somehow wok-ked to give a mild crispiness. How did they do that? It was a neat trick, and it was piled high on a deep dish that created an island surrounded by red, shining, heat vapored, sauce. The heart of the nightshade remained soft and contained a hint of sweetness. This combo tag team between the Red Chili flame and unexpected sugar underneath was delicious and fun. We thoroughly enjoyed this repast. If asked to compare with other hot houses in Ctown, it would fall somewhere just below Emei (across the street), on the same plane as Four Rivers and Spice C, and above Traditional Szechuan. It really reminded me of the old Chili Szechuan on Baltimore Avenue, before it moved to larger digs and lost its edge. Gotta say that this block of Arch Street has it going on! Han Dynasty will just have to wait. read more

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Average. We walked in on a Saturday afternoon and sat on one of the few available tables. Service was pleasant, but slow. We ordered the house special soft tofu, the dumplings in chili sauce, dan-dan noodles and the chili chicken. The order in which the food came was all wrong: first we got the chicken, then the tofu, then the dumplings. The dan-dan noodles never came, and yet they tried to charge us for them. True, the chicken was scrumptious and I would return for more. The tofu was ok, and the dumplings were passable. But given the wait, the haphazard way in which the food was brought to us, and the mistake with the dan-dan noodles, and the fact that e mei is across the street and has much better everything, I think I won't be coming back. Sorry... read more

Delightful Garden - Menu page 1 - Szechuan Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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There are so many Szechuan restaurant in Philly, but this one is really different and is my favorite one. No American style Szechuan food, but authentic taste from China. I tried many kinds of dim sum that I've never seen or tried before, all of them are delicious. Although I've waited a long time for bamboo leaf wrap rice, it tasted really good. Another interesting dish is the new kind of hotpot with skewers, interesting and delicious. I love spicy food, and this place is just what I expected it to be- VERY spicy! Though no fancy decorations, the food is fancy. I recommend everyone who loves spicy food to check it out! read more

Delightful Garden - spicy but yummy - Szechuan Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Not Delightful but DISHONEST AND DECEITFUL! I was at the PA Conversation Center and went to have a quick lunch in Chinatown. I saw a big sign in front of Delightful Garden showing a list of dishes with "lunch special $6.95" at the end of the list. I asked the lady about the specials and ordered one from that list. The dish came fairly quickly and was served in a fairly small plate (clearly a lunch portion), but the bill came out $17.23 (with tax). I asked why was that much since she knew I ordered from their lunch special list, and her answer was, fasten your seat belt, $6.95 is for lunch specials but the dishes above were not lunch specials. I was here for a conference and was looking for a dinner place to entertain some conference goers. Obviously, Delightful Garden was not the place. read more

Delightful Garden - Not Delightful, but DISHONEST and DECEITFUL! Be prepared to pay more than double of the special $6.95. - Szechuan Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This place totally changed!! Nothing like what it was 4 years ago. Now it is expensive, not fresh and not tasty. Go to Jane G's to find authentic Szechuan food. read more

I would give this place a zero star if i could. After we ordered the waitress told us there would be an extra 25% extra charge for each menu item because of inflation, we wanted to get up and leave but didn't since we had already ordered. The portions were small. When we received the check, each item had an additional 35-40%! The waitress argued that she did inform us of the surcharge. We told her we will hold on to the check and that we can file a complaint with the better business bureau because they did not display the surcharge anywhere on the menu or in the establishment. When we ask to place the noodle in a to- go container, she said "why couldnt you just finish it" . We paid the full amount without leaving a tip. Now I know I should've read the reviews before coming here. read more

The meal was mediocre at best. The portions were quite small and on the pricey side. The price on the menu is not what was charged. The said they had a recent price increase which is not reflected in the menu. So they basically can charge whatever they want . The worst part of the meal was the customer service as noted in previous reviews. The waitress could've been a robot for all I know. Not friendly and not engaging. Will not be back. read more

A very good authentic Chinese/Szechuan restaurant spotted in the old Chinatown in Philly. This place is totally not disappointed for someone like who has tasted known Chinese restaurant in Los Angeles and New York. Environment: very clean. Their napkin is of good quality compared to other Asian restaurants. Food: their dim sum style dishes are the most popular. Additionally, Fresh fish in boiled hot chili sauce is a must try - the whole fish well marinated within the hot sauce and the ingredients include different kinds of mushrooms. Service: those young waiters and waitresses are very friendly. In a nutshell, if you are a big fun of spicy food, don't miss out this place when you are in Philly! Hope it helps! xoxo, Q read more

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Charged for prices over what was listed on menu, ended up paying $30 over what was listed. Also didnt get what some of the menu items listed

Ordered from them because I was craving Chinese food, and their food hit the spot! The pork ribs with corn soup was so good, and I also got the chili soup style with beef and loved how thinly they sliced the beef. read more

Very disappointing. Wontons had little meat and were too chewy. Spice level is low. XLB were small and didn't have much soup. Excellent service but I won't be back and highly do not recommend. read more

I've been vegetarian for a full year and some time and they sent me chicken instead of tofu and now have ruined that for me. Plus it was cold as well. Definitely go to literally any other place to eat food read more

Be very careful with them, they will overcharge you. Last week we ordered two items, based on menu, the total should be $20 plus tax, while they charged us $40! And they did that to every customers in last few years read more

This is probably one of the best restaurant in Chinatown. I always eat there. Th food is delicious and their service is super nice! Definitely recommend! Ordered the Sichuan Style Roasted Whole Fish today and fried squid with cumin sauce for take out. Both are delicious!!! read more

Delightful Garden - Fried squid with cumin sauce - Szechuan Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I like their meat balls very much. They followed my instructions when I ordered takeouts.

Seems like everyone and their mothers are opening Sichuan restaurants these days. I blame Handy Nasty for this, as it has brainwashed Philadelphia Americans into thinking Sichuan cuisine is the hallmark of authentic Chinese food (there are other areas of China too, y'all). And I assure you, many of these Sichuan restaurant owners are not Sichuanese. The water boiled fish was the biggest disappointment. $35 for a pot of low quality, bone-in fish pieces (fins, some scales, and gelatinous parts included) that has retained an overpowering fishy flavor. They charge you rice by the bowl, and the water cups are too small for how infrequently they are filled. The Sichuan spicy chicken was admittedly more palatable, and the overall spice levels for all dishes were pleasing. Though will I be coming back? I'm not a fortune teller, but this place is across the street from E Mei (a clearly superior Sichuan restaurant) and adjacent to Xi'an Sizzling Woks (for bangin' Xi'an food), so it's pretty unlikely. read more

Don't expect an Americanized menu over here, this crew is not afraid to dump a pile of peppers on you. My favorite dish of the day was the wontons in garlic sauce ($5.95). The sweet, spicy, garlicy sauce covering the small pork wontons was a more complex version of the typical spicy sauce found at other Szechaun places (and also on the menu here). Wanting something noodley, the Szechuan style cold noodles ($5.95) are like a sesame, peanut, liang pi noodle mash up. Next time I might pick the hand made noodles with garlic sauce, since it comes with the sauce I enjoyed so much on the wontons. Szechaun style spicy chicken will be a crowd pleaser if your group is not afraid of hot peppers ($15.95). Crunchy, boneless chicken pieces are tossed with a lifetime supply of red chilies, plus scallion and peanuts. This is a dish that requires sharing and would also be improved with a side of beer. read more

This little place in Chinatown is definitely a haven for authentic Szechuan food. Places like Han Dynasty are delicious but after trying out some of the smaller places in Chinatown, I don't know if I'll be going back to now what seems like a softer and more western take on some seriously intense flavor when done right. Yes, it is spicy but it's the kind of spice that adds a rich texture to the palate. It's a small restaurant and very simple; certainly not one trying to propose a fancy ambiance or anything of the sort. The service is friendly and the main star is the food. I've had the hot and sour yam noodle soup, the wonton dumplings in garlic sauce and the mapo tofu. I have said that Emei has the best mapo tofu I have ever tasted but this place is a very very close second. The mapo tofu isn't as soft and gelatinous which is its downfall but the flavor is delightful! Emei's is more spicy and has a lot of minced pork. I know I'll be alternating between both! The takeout portion is huge and they gave me a whole other meal-sized portion of white rice when I asked for extra rice. We were once there late at night and they did not rush us even though it was nearly closing time. In fact, the staff all sat at a table and ate their dinner together and it gave a very comfortable sense of neighborhood and community. If you want to try Chinese food that's different from the mainstream, delve right into Chinatown and try this place! read more

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I went with two native Philadelphians and I trusted you two!!! Anyway, I have always heard and thought Philly has better Chinese food than us here in DMV. So I was really excited to try out this place. I am from Chengdu and one person I went with is from Chongqing. I guess we are the best judge on the authenticity. I guess the flavors were OK. We ordered 凉粉，钟水饺，毛血旺，酸汤肥牛，香菇菜心，卤肉锅盔 or spicy bean noodles, dumplings, spicy innerds, sour and spicy beef, vege with mushroom and shredded pork buns. The pork bun was too salty. But other than that, the flavors were decent. But the quality of ingredients were not really good. The tofu in the spicy innerds was sour (aka went bad). The beef was tough and chewy with an off after-taste. I feel sorry to say that my favorite dish was actually vege with mushroom. How sad for a Szechuan restaurant! The waitress was pretty nice though. read more

This place gets better and better! Just recently tried their "Chinese hamburger". It was amazing. Also being as a mapo tofu afficionado I tried theirs finally-definitely my second favorite in the city (they could use more ground meat in it). read more

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